Carrier rod operating mechanism for flat knitting machines



A. FRIEDMANN Sept. 7, 1937.

CARRIER ROD OPERATING MECHANISM FOR FLAT KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 26, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Oberi riedman n Yus ATTORN A. FRIEDMANN Sept. 7, 1937.

CARRIER ROD OPERATING MECHANISM FOR FLAT KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 26, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR lberl Eriedmann H. ATTORNEY V Sept. 7, 1937. A. FRIEDMANN CARRIER ROD OPERATING MECHANISM FOR FLAT KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 26, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. (ll bert Fried. m arm m wl.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 7, 1937 CARRIER non orsmrmo MECHANISM FOR-FLAT KNITTING mcnnms Albert Friedmann, Wyomissing', Pa, asslgnor to Louis Hirsch Textile Machines, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 26, 1934, Serial No. 732,455

8 Claims. (Cl. 66-427) This application is a continuation, in part, of application Serial No. 709,730, filed by this in ventor, Albert Friedmann, on February 5, 1934.

The invention hereof relates to flat knitting d machines, particularly those for the manufac-' ture of full fashioned hosiery, and specifically to the mechanisms for driving and controlling the carrier rods. By means of it a single friction device on the friction rod may be utilized to m operate a multiplicity of carrier rods in any sequence or in any combination desired, or a multiplicity of similar devices on the friction rod may be employed, each of them being used to I control any oneof the friction rods in any desired sequence. The same device, or devices, is also utilized to establish each carrier rod in its correct position against an end stop, or other stop, which determines its limit of travel before the beginning or each stroke. Thus the invenm tion eliminates the serious and very common defeet in present day flat knitting machines of displacement of carrier rods as the result of the shock which occurs when one of them strikes its stop.

The invention also includes means for securely holding idle carrier rods against their end stops during the operation of another rod. Another common difliculty is thereby eliminated, namely, the displacement oi an idle carrier rod through contact or its thread carrier with the thread carrier. oi an operating carrier rod at the beginning of a stroke. Some present day machines are.provided with latches intended to accomplish this latter object but their method of operation is such that all of the rods are simultaneously released, with the result that some of them may be displaced through interference of the thread carriers at the beginning of the stroke of one of the rods in spite of the latches. Furthermore, such latches are operated by means Elli other than the carrier rods themselves which injects into the extremely complicated mechanism of the flat knitting machine another delicate problem of timing. The carrier rod latching device of this application, although'carried by the narrowing head in a manner substantially identical to that of the old-type latches, is operated by the carrier rods themselves entirely independently oi the rest of the machine and in m such a way that each rod at the end of a stroke is automatically locked and automatically un- -locks the carrier rod which makes the next i thread laying stroke.

By this invention, therefore, each rod is not only moved into correct position for the beginning of its stroke and locked in that position but also it is unlocked by the carrier rods which Gil perform the next preceding stroke so that no possible difliculty can arise in the timing of these operations.

A further feature of the invention which is of great practical value, is that its application involves no changes in the standard knitting machmebeyond replacing the standardvfriction devices with the special selective carrier rod operating device or devices of this invention, substituting for the ordinary carrier rod locking latches the special latches of this invention, and equipping the' standard carrier rods with the special drive blocks and latch operating blocks of this invention. In short, the invention may be applied to a standard knitting machine-without t:ubstantial alteration of anyof its standard par The invention may he utilized for a majority of the types of knitting of which a standard knitting'machine is capable, but it is particularly useful in the knitting of the so-,called-ringless types or hosiery fabric in which difierent threads, usually three in number, are employed in succeeding courses, thus spreading any inequalities caused by variation in thread size over wider areas and, consequently,'reducing or elimihating the ring-like effect caused by such in equalities when they appear in adfiacent courses.

The invention may be readily applied to such knitting machines as that disclosed and described in application Serial No. 701,737 filed Decemher 11, 1933, by Albert Friedmann for the knitting of the special type of ringless stocking having a re-enforced selvage which, together with the method of making it, is also disclosed in that application.

For the purposes of this application the device as shown isgapplied to three carrier rods and their operation will he described as they are used in the making of a simple threethread ringless fabric. It will he understood, however, that this limited description implies no equivalent limitation in the scope of the invention.

In the drawings:'

Figure l is a plan view of three carrier rods of a flat knitting machine, and the means by which they are operated and controlled;

Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation on the line 2-? of Fig. l of the device which automatically selects and operates the carrier rods through the reciprocation of the friction rod and which also assures the proper positioning of each carrier rod at the beginning of its stroke;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the carrier rod latches at the respective ends of the machine in the positions assumed by them when the carrier rods are disposed as shown in Fig. i;

Fig. i is a similar diagrammatic view of the position of the same latches after the lowest rod shown in Fig. i has completed its stroke to the left;

latches showing their position when the upper Fig. 5 is a similar diagrammatic view of the rod shown in Fig. 1 has completed a stroke to the right;

1 Fig. 6 is a view of one form of a carrier rod driving block; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are similar views of another type of carrier rod driving block also showing the driving finger in two different driving positions.

Three carrier rods I, 2 and 3 are shown in Fig. 1. With the exception of the special driving blocks and latch blocks with which they are equipped and which will be described hereinafter, these rods may be standard in all respects. Corresponding end stops 4, 5 and 6 are also shown in Fig. I mounted in the usual manner on narrowing head 1 at the left end of the machine. At the other end of the machine similar end stops 8, 9 and ID are similarly mounted on narrowing head I I. These stops determine the extreme limits bf travel of the carrier rods in the well known manner.

In Fig. 1 is also shown the standard reciprocable friction rod I2 upon which is mounted a friction box I3 provided with the usual frictional devices. Upon friction box I2 are pivotally mounted fingers I4, I5 and IS, the respective lengths of which are such that their ends overlie carrier rods I, 2 and 3. All three fingers are mounted on a common shaft I1 in such a way that they may be individually rocked in a vertical plane. v

These fingers also extend rearwardly from their pivots as arms I8, I9 and 20 which terminate substantially beneath cross bar 2! of frame 22, which is also mounted upon or is an integral part of friction box I3. The sides of frame 22 are extended downwardly to form supports for a bearing 23 slidably surrounding a shaft 24 so that frame 22, although it can slide longitudinally, is rigidly braced against other movement insuring that the various parts of the device will be maintained in correct position with respect to the carrier rods. Each of the arms I8, I9 and 20 is connected to cross bar 2I of frame 22 by means of a spring 25'. Thus normally the fingers will be maintained in down position with their ends slightly above their respective rods. Rocking of fingers I4, I5 and I6 is automatically efiected by cams 26, 21 and 28 respectively, mounted on a changing shaft 29 which is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings so that it overlies the rear end of arms I8, I9 and 20. Each of the cams 28, 21 and 28 is slidably mounted upon changing shaft 29, the hub of each being provided with one or more splines 30 which engage with corresponding spline slots 3| in changing shaft 29. Thus although earns 26, 21 and 28 are slidable upon changing shaft 29 any rotation of shaft 29 will impart a corresponding rotation to the cams. Cams 26, 21 and 28 are mounted in proper position with respect to each other and to the arms i8, I9 and 20 by any suitable means and engage with those arms through the medium of a roller 32 on each arm. Thus when friction box I3 is reciprocated by friction rod I2 not only the fingers I4, I5 and I6 and arms I8, I9 and 28 but also rollers 32 and cams 26, 21 and 28 will reciprocate as a, unit, the cams sliding along shaft 24 and maintaining their operative alignment with the arms. Each of cams 26, 21 and 26 is so shaped and its working surface so distributed about the shaft that the finger which it controls will be maintained in its raised and lowered posi-' tions at appropriate times during the knitting operation by suitable rotation of shaft 29.

Shaft 29 may be rotated by any suitable mechanism which will impart proper timing to the cams. The mechanism shown in Fig. 1 for rotating shaft 29 consists of a cam 35 upon the main cam shaft 36 which operates a rock lever 31 through roller 38. Lever 31 in turn rotates shaft 29 in a step by step manner through a pawl 39 and ratchet wheel 40. This form of drive is well known to those skilled in the art and can be designed by them to impart the required speed of rotation to shaft 29 to harmonize its action with the knitting cycle.

The purpose of fingers I4, I5 and I6 is to translate the reciprocation of friction rod I2 to carrier rods I, 2 and 3 in accordance with the requirements of the knitting operation being performed. To make this possible carrier rods I, 2 and 3 are provided with driving blocks 4|, 42 and 43 respectively, so positioned on each rod as to be engageable with the corresponding finger I4, IE or I6 at either end of each stroke and at any intermediate point. In one form of the device each of the driving blocks 4|, 42 and 43 is of the form best shown in Fig. 6 and consists of a metallic block attached to and projecting above the carrier rod and provided with sloping surfaces 44 and 45 leading up to a centrally positioned rectangular depression 46 of suitable size to receive the end of a finger.

It will be apparent that whenever during the reciprocation of the friction rod one of the fingers I4, l5 or I6 is engaged in a corresponding recess 46 of its drive block the carrier rod will also be reciprocated either to the right or left.

In the knitting of simple three thread ringless fabric which, as already stated, had been chosen for illustration herein, the device described above operates as follows:

It will be assumed that carrier rods I, 2 and 3 operate in that sequence to lay the three threads required. With the rods in the position shown in Fig. 1, viz: rod I to the left, and rods 2 and 3 to the right, the first rod to be reciprocated will be rod 3 to lay-a thread from right to left, and to prepare carrier rod I for operation on the return stroke. It will also be assumed that friction rod I2 is also at the right end of its reciprocatory path ready to move to the left. Shaft 29 has been rotated so that cam 28 has permitted finger ii to pass into the recess in drive block 43. Finger I4 is also in down position but finger I5 is up". When friction rod I2 is driven to the left rod 3 will be carried along until it strikes end stop 8, whereupon friction rod I2 will continue on to the end of its stroke, the friction box I3 remaining stationary. Thereupon, before the beginning of the return stroke to the right, shaft 29 will be rotated again so that cam 28 will lift finger I8 out of engagement with drive block 43, releasing carrier rod 3 from its driving connections. As the end of this stroke is approached finger l4 will strike the sloping surface 44 of drive block H on carrier rod I, and will fall into depression 46. In case rod I has been jarred out of its position against end stop 4, finger I4 will move it back against the end stop as the stroke of rod 3 is completed. Thereupon, shaft 29 will be rotated again so that the cams will lift finger I6 out of engagement with drive block 43 on carrier rod 3 and will permit finger I5 to drop into its down position ready to engage drive block 42 at the end of the next stroke.

Rod I is now coupled to finger I4 and ready to be driven from left to right by the next movement of the friction rod I2. Towards the end of this stroke of rod I finger I5 will strike and ride up on the sloping surface of drive block 42 on carrier rod 2 as already described in connection with rod I, and at the end of this stroke will fall into the recess of drive block 42. Then finger l4 is raised into its up position by cam 26 to free carrier rod I, and rod 2 is ready to be driven from till rods have reached the ends of their travel.

right to left to lay the next thread. Finger I6 is also lowered at this time into position to engage drive block 43 on carrier rod 3 at the end of this istroke. As already described, in connection with the operation of carrier rod I, if carrier rod 2 happens to have been jarred or otherwise moved from contact with end stop 9, it will have been moved back into its correct position at the initial engagement of finger l5 with the recess in drive block 42 at the end of the stroke of carrier rod I. In this manner the carrier-rods are not only driven in the desired sequence by one or another of the fingers l4, l5 and IE, but the proper positioning of each rod just before it begins its operating stroke is assumed by the engagement of its finger at the end of the stroke of the immediately preceding working carrier rod.

In view of the fact that the several thread carriers closely overlie each other between carrier rod strokes and that very slight sagging or bending will cause them to rub, it has happened frequently that the thread carrier of an idle rod is moved into the operating field of the sinkers by the thread carrier of the working carrier rod with consequent damage to the sinkers and needles.

To prevent this the device of this invention includes means for locking the idle rods against their end stops during the greater part of the reciprocation oi the working carrier rod. This device, in the form shown herein, consists of a set of pivoted latch levers 22, t2 and 22 carried by a shaft 52 on narrowing head if and an opposing set of latch levers 5t, 52 and 52 carried by a shaft 52 on narrowing head ll. These levers are provided with latches 55, 5t and El, and 22, 22 and 22 respectively, the three latches of each set lying directly above the path of travel of carrier rods l, 2 and 2 in the order indicated.

The latch levers on their free ends are provided with downwardly depending shoes til, 22, b2, 22,

22 and 22, respectively. Shoe 2|! overlies the path of carrier rod 2; shoe 62 overlies the path of carrier rod l; and shoe 62 overlies the path of carrier rod 2, latch levers M, 42 and 22 being suitably formed to make this possible, as shown in Fig. 1. Similarly the other set of opposing latch levers is provided with similar shoes 62, 25 and b2 lying above the paths of carrier rods 2, l and 2 respectively. That is to say, there is a pair of opposed lifter and latch plate blocks so positioned ad- 'jacent the ends of, each carrier rod that the respective latches will engage with them when the The combination blocks for carrier rod-l are shown at 68 and H, those for carrier rod 2 at 62 and i2, and those for carrier rod 3 at Ill and 22. Each.

.block is provided with an inclined surface it, a

latch notch 15 and a shoe support 16, and projects above the carrier rod sufliciently so that it will strike the shoe lying in its path and raise it sufliciently to disengage the latch on the same latch lever as the shoe, from the latch notch on the carrier rod with which the latch is associated.

This will be made clearer in the following description of the operation of the latches. To avoid confusion it must be remembered that the latches are operated by the carrier rod themselves. In consequence, since the rods have been assumed to function in I, 2, 3 order carrier rod 3 must be used to release the latches of carrier rod 5; carrier rod l releases the latches of carrier rod 2; and'carrier rod .2 releases the latches of carrier rod 3. Hence the shoes Bi and 64- of latch levers 41. and 5| as already stated, are positioned so as to be lifted by block or 13 to unlock rod l; the shoes 62 and 65 of latch levers 48 and 52 are positioned so as to be lifted by block 68 or H on carrier rod l; and shoes 62 and 66 on latch levers 49 and 53 are positioned so as to be lifted by blocks 62 and I2 on carrier rod 2. i

A series of carrier rod movements is illustrated by Figs. 3, 4 and 5. In Fig. 3 the carrier rods are shown in the same position as in Fig. l and the same assumption applies, viz: that carrier rod 2 is to be the first to be operated. Thisrod is free to move, its latch 60 being disengaged from block 22 as the result of the lifting of shoe G6 on the same latch lever 52 by block 22 on carrier rod 2, as shown in dotted lines, when this carrier rod last reached the position shown in Fig. 3 at the limit oiits travel to the right.

Rod l is locked up because blockJd on rod 2 does not engage shoe ti on latch lever 22, as shown in dotted lines, hence latch 52 on that lever is free to engage with the latch notch of block 62 on carrier rod 5. Rod 2 is also locked up by latch 22 for a similar reason, viz: shoe 2% is not in engagement with block ll on carrier rod l, as shown in dotted lines. Therefore, when carrier rod 2 is drawn from right to left it will be impossible for either rod l or rod 2 to move.

Fig. 4 illustrates diagrammatically the situation created by the arrival of carrier rod 2 at the end of its stroke to the left. Latch 571 has engaged with the latch notch of block 22 on rod 2 because the position of rod 2 at the right remains unchanged, and block 22 on rod 2 consequently remains disengaged from shoe 62, as shown in dotted lines. Since the operation of the latch 22 of rod 2 is under the control of rod l, which has not changed its position, rod 2 remains locked up as before. i, however, has been unlocked through the lifting of shoe Bl of latch lever 22 by block ill on rod 2 at the end of the right to left stroke oi rod 2. Therefore, rod-l can now be driven from left to right to perform the next thread laying stroke.

It will be noted that the two idle rods are locked up whereas the next working rod is now unlocked.

Fig. 5 diagrammatically illustrates the condition which exists after rod II has completed its stroke from left to right. Latch 52 has dropped into the latch notchof block ll locking up rod 2 since block 22 on rod 3 is out of engagement with shoe 22, as shown in dotted lines. The arrival of rod l at the right end of its stroke has caused block M to lift shoe 65 on latch lever 52, as shown in dotted lines, with the result that rod 2 has been unlocked by the lifting of latch 52 out of the clutch notch of block 12. Since rod 2 still remains in its original position at the right rod 2 remains locked up through'the continued disengagement of shoe 63 of latch lever 49 from block 69 on rod 2, as shown in dotted lines. Here again, the two idle rods are locked up and the rod next to work unlocked.

For the laying of the next thread rod 2 will 5 be driven from right to left. When this stroke is completed it will be locked up as the result of the engagement of latch 56 with the latch notch of block 69, this being no longer prevented by the engagement of block 68 on rod I with shoe 62 on latch lever 48. Rod I will remain locked because rod 3 has not changed its position but rod 3 will be unlocked as the result of shoe 63 being lifted by block 69 on rod 2, and thus made ready for its next working stroke. As in the other instance previously described, the two idle rods are locked up and the next working rod is unlocked automatically and solely through the operation of the carrier rods themselves.

If the carrier rods are operated in some other sequence than that described the cams on changing shaft 29 will, of course, be shaped to effect the necessary operation of the driving fingers and the latch levers will also be so modified that the carrier rod next to operate will be unlocked by the rod in operation during the preceding stroke. A modification of the invention is described in Figs. 7 and 8. In this the drive block with which each carrier rod is provided is modified by bevelling outwardly the upper corners of the 0 side walls of recess 46 as shown at 11 and I8, and bevelling the lower edges of the fingers l4, I5 and i6 to correspond .as shown at 19 and 80. Also the relation between the fingers and the driving blocks is such that each finger when in down" position as shown in Fig. '7 will be fully seated in a drive block recess 46, but when in u'pfposition will not clear the drive block entirely as in the form originally described and disclosed in Fig. 6 but will still remain within recess 46 suffi- 40 ciently'to allow the bevelled edge of the finger to engage with the bevelled edge of the drive block as shown in Fig. 81 With this arrangement the knitting operation may be performed as heretofore described in so far as the up and down manipulation and sequence of the fingers is concerned, the only difference being that when in up position each finger will still engage with its corresponding carrier rod drive block to the ex tent shown in Fig. 8. However, since the idle rods are locked up by the latches heretofore described this engagement is immaterial because the fingers so engaged will readily snap out of the recesses as soon as they begin to move upon a friction rod stroke.

While this modified arrangement is of no particular advantage for knitting such as that heretofore described, in which the carrier rods are successively driven the full width of the fabric, it is extremely useful in any knitting in which the travel of any of the carrier rods is less than that of others since the rods may be drivenby the fingers when in the raised position shown in Fig. 8. For such a purpose spring 25 which urges each finger downwardly must be of suflicient' strength to retain the bevelled edge 18 or 80 of the finger against the adjacent bevelled edge of rthe carrier rod drive block during the driving of the rod. Under this condition a rod can be driven in this way and yet may be stopped at any intermediate point without preventing the friction 'box and the fingers from proceeding onward to the end of their stroke, since the finger will automatically release itself from the carrier rod in question. Of course, the frictional engagement of friction box ll with friction rod i2 must be aoeaeos suflicient to prevent displacement of the friction box upon the friction rod when this snapping out action occurs. Thus it becomes possible to drive two rods over different distances simultaneously one, for example, entirely across the fabric by means of a finger fully seated in recess 46 as shown in Fig. 7, and the other a shorter distance by means of a finger engaged as shown in Fig. 8, both operations being performed by a single friction device traveling with the friction rod over the full width of the fabric.

What I claim is:

1. In a fiat knitting machine provided with a reciprocable friction rod and carrier rods, carrier rod driving mechanism comprising a friction device frictionally engaged with said friction rod, a plurality of adjustable carrier-rod driving means carried by said friction device each of which is engageable with a different carrier rod, means for maintaining two of said carrier rod driving means in adjustment to engage their respective carrier rods during each traverse of the friction rod, 9. drive block upon each carrier rod provided with a recess with which its respective driving means can engage to drive said carrier rod in either direction, said driving block also being provided with means for guiding any of said driving means which is disengaged from but in engageable adjustment with it's carrier rod upward to the top of said block from which it can pass automatically into said recess whenever said driving means assumes a position above said recess.

2. In a flat knitting machine provided with a reciprocable friction rod and carrier rods, carrier rod driving mechanism comprising a friction device frictionally engaged with said friction rod, a plurality of adjustable carrier-rod driving means carried by said friction device each of which is engageable with a different carrier rod, means for maintaining a plurality'of said carrier rod driving means in adjustment to engage their respective carrier rods during each traverse of the friction rod, a drive block upon-each carrier rod provided with a recess with which its respective driving means can engageto drive said carrier rod in either direction, said driving block also being provided with means for guiding any of said driving means which is disengaged from but in engageable adjustment with its carrier rod upward to the top of said block from which it can pass automatically'into said recess whenever said driving means assumes a position above said recess, and means for maintaining the remaining carrier rod driving means in non-engageable adjustment.

3. In a flat knitting machine provided with a reciprocable friction rod-and carrier rods, carrier rod driving mechanism comprising a-friction device frictionally engaged with said friction rod, a plurality of adjustable carrier-roddriving fingers carried by said friction device each ofwhich is engageable with a different carrier rod, means for maintaining two of said carrier rod driving fingers in adjustment to engage their respective carrier rods during each traverse of the friction rod, a drive block upon each carrier rod provided with a recess with which its respective driving finger can engage to drive said carrier rod in either direction, said driving block also being provided with' means .for guiding any of said driving fingers which is disengaged from but in engageable adjustment with its carrier rod upward to the top of said block from which it can pass automatically into said recess whenever said driving finger assumes a position above recess whenever said driving finger assumes a said recess. position above said recess.

4. In a flat knitting machine provided with a 7. In a fiat knitting machine provided with a reciprocable friction rod and carrier rods, carreciprocable friction rod and carrier rods, car- 5 rier rod driving mechanism comprising a fricrier rod driving mechanism comprising a friction device frictionally engaged with said friction device frictionally engaged with said friction rod, a plurality of adjustable carrier-rod tion rod, a plurality of adjustable carrier-rod driving fingers carried by said friction .device driving means carried by said friction device each each of which is engageable with a different carof which is engageable with a different carrier in rier rod, means for maintaining a plurality of rod, means for ,maintaining two of said carrier said carrier rod driving fingers in adjustment to rod driving means in adjustment to engage their engage their respective carrier rods during each respective carrier rods during each traverse of traverse of the friction rod, a drive block upon the friction rod, a drive block upon each carrier each carrier rod provided with a recess with rod provided with a recess with which its respecwhich its respective driving finger can engage tive driving means can engage to drive said carto drive said carrier rod in either direction, said rier rod in either direction, said driving block driving block also being provided with means also being provided with means for guiding any for guiding any of said driving fingers which is of said driving means which is disengaged from disengageable from but in engageable adjustbut in engageable adjustment with its carrier ment with its carrier rod upward to the top rod upward to the top of said block from which of said block from which it can pass automaticalit can pass automatically into. said recess whenly into said recess whenever said driving finger ever said driving means assumes a position above assumes a position above said recess. said recess in combination with means equal in 5. In a flat knitting machine provided with a number to said carrier rods each of which is reciprocable friction rod and carrier rods, a caradapted to lock againstmovement a different rier rod driving mechanism comprising a friccarrier rod when said rod is notin engagement tion device frictionally engaged with said fricwith its driving means, the operation of said tion rod, a plurality of carrier rod driving finlocking means being controlled by means on a gers rookably mounted on said friction device, carrier rod other than the one which it is adapteach of which is engageable with a different cared to lock.

rier rod, resilient means for maintaining all of 8. In a fiatknitting machine provided with said fingers normally in position to be engagea reciprocable friction rod and carrier rods, carable, each with a driving block upon its respecrie'r rod driving mechanism comprising a frictive carrier rod, means for moving one finger tion device frictionally engaged with said fricout of engageable position between successive tion rod,'a plurality of adjustable carrier-rod traverses of the friction rod, each of said driving driving means carried by said friction device blocks being provided with a recess with which each of which is engageable with a different carits respective driving means can engage to drive rier rod, means for maintaining two of said carsaid carrier rod in either direction, and means rier rod driving means in adjustment to engage 40 for guiding any of said driving fingers which is their respective carrier rods during each traverse disengaged from but in engageable position with of the friction rod, a drive block upon each its carrier rod upward to the top of said block carrier rod provided with a recess with which from which it can pass automatically into said its respective driving means can engage to drive recess whenever said driving means assumes a said carrier rod in either direction, said driving position above said recess. block also being provided with means forguid- 6. In a flat knitting machine provided with a ing any of said driving means which is disreciprocable friction rodand carrier rods, a carengaged from but in engageable adjustment with rier rod driving mechanism comprising a fricits carrier rod upward to the top of said block tion device frictionally engaged with said fricfrom which it can pass automatically into said tion rod, a plurality of adjustable carrier rod recess whenever said driving means assumes a driving fingers on said friction device, each of position above said recess, in combination with which is rockable into and out of engageable means equal in number to said carrier rods each position with a different carrier rod, means for of which is adapted to lock against movement maintaining two of said carrier rod driving fina different carrier rod when said rod is not in gers in adjustment to engage their respective engagement with its driving means, the operacarrier rods duringeach traverse of the friction tion of each of said locking means being conrod and the remainder of said carrier rod drivtrolled by means on a carrier rod other than ing fingers in non-engageable adjustment, which the one which it is adapted to lock, each of said i includes a rotatable selector shaft, a multiplicity locking means comprising a pivoted lever proof selector 'cams rotatable with and slidable upon vided with a latch engageable with a latch plate said selector shaft, one of which is engageable on its respective carrier rod at the end of the with each driving finger to rock into and out.oi stroke of said carrier rod, and also being procarrier rod engageable position, means for rovided with a shoe engageable with a shoe lifter tating said selector shaft, a drive block upon each on another carrier rod, said shoe lifter being carrier rod provided with a recess with which its adapted to raise said lever by means of said respective driving finger can engage to drive said shoe sufiiciently to release its latch from the carrier rod in either direction, and means for latch plate of the carrier rod which it locks imguiding any of said driving fingers which is dismediately before said last-mentioned rod is reengaged from but in adjustable engagement with quired to move from its locked position.

its carrier rod upward to the top of said block from which it can pass automatically into said ALBERT FRIEDMANN. 

